An idealistic philosophical & social movement that developed in New England around 1836 in reaction to rationalism. Influenced by romanticism, Platonism & Kantian philosophy, it taught that divinity pervades all nature and humanity & its members held progressive views on feminism & communal living. Ralph Waldo Emerson & Henry David Thoreau were central figures. A system developed by Immanuel Kant, based on the idea that, in order to understand the nature of reality, one must first examine & analyze the reasoning process that governs the nature of experience. Key transcendentalist beliefs were that humans are inherently good but can be corrupted by society & institutions, insight & experience & more important than logic, spirituality should come from the self, not organized religion & nature is beautiful & should be respected. Ralph Waldo Emerson—essayist, minister, poet & philosopher from New England—was the founding father of the transcendentalist movement & the creator of many literary works praising nature & its relationship to humanity & creation. Transcendentalism Characteristics: Transcendentalism was heavily focused on seeking individual truth & growing to become more & more self-reliant. However, the movement can be described using three essential characteristics or principles: individualism, idealism & the divinity of nature. These all echo the major principles of transcendentalism: freethinking, self-reliance & non-conformity, growth & renewal of the individual, revolt against tradition & established institutions, civil disobedience, brotherhood of man, nature & spiritual unity & educational reform. Call Max Tuggle 208-818-3229

April 1st, 2025 4:00 PM